Epoxy alcohol compounds such as 3-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-3,4-epoxy-2-butanol and triazole compounds such as (2R,3S)-2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-3-methyl-2-[(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methyl]oxirane are known to be useful, for example, as production intermediates of antifungal agents (see, for example, WO2007/062542, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,620,994, and 5,807,854).
With regard to a method for obtaining an epoxy alcohol compound and an epoxy triazole compound, U.S. Pat. No. 6,884,892 discloses a method of reacting 2′,4′-difluoro-2-hydroxypropiophenone with trimethyl oxosulfonium salt in the presence of a base to obtain 3-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-3,4-epoxy-2-butanol which is an epoxy alcohol compound and further discloses a process for producing 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)-3-methyl-2-[(1H-1,2,4-triazol-1-yl)methyl]oxirane which is an epoxy triazole compound via the epoxy alcohol compound.